Fire escape ladder



(No Model.) 4 Sheets-Sheet 1'.

J. PI-IIPARD. FIRE ESCAPE LADDER. No. 248,345. Patented Oct. 18,1881.

INVENTL'IR= W WW WITNESZW fim a/wml (No Model.) 4 Sheets-Sheet 2.

J: PHIPARD.

FIRE ESCAPE LADDER. N0. 2 18,3 15. Patented Oct. 18,1881.

(No Model.) 4 Sheets-Sheet 3.

J. PHIPARD.

FIRE ESCAPE LADDER.

No. 24 ,345. Patented Oct. 18,1881.

.F'i y. 3.

(No Model.) 4 SheetsSheet 4.

J. PHIPARD.

FIRE ESCAPE LADDER. I No. 248,345 Patented Oct. 18,1881.

a] I 1P as I .30 Q I 1 L W o 20 3U 2,0, F. I

1 ITNE 5E W p [N' ;7I:lJTUR= M12111 by 114% UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN PHIPARD, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK.

FIRE-ESCAPE LADDER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 248,345, dated October 18, 1881,

Application filed August 17,1881. (No model.)

To all whom it mag concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN PHIPARD,OfB1OOklyn, New York, have invented a new and useful Improvementiu Extension-Ladder and Fire- Escapes, of which the following is such full, clear, and exact description as will enable others skilled in the art to which it most nearly appertains to make and use the same when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a side view of the fire-escape, the ladder closed and arranged for transportation on thetrnck. Fig. 2 is a vertical section, at the line 00 .r of Fig. 3, of the extended ladder and base turned at right angles to the truck. Fig. 3 is a top view of the ladder, base, and truck, at the line a" :0 of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the fire-escape as used in gaining access to a house.

This invention consists in the combination of several short ladders into a system with one another and with a base and operating mechanism, so as to constitute substantially one ladder,'in such a manner that the ladder may be folded together or unfolded and extended by the operating mechanism, in such manner, also, that the extended ladder may be made to vary from or assume the perpendicular at pleasure, the same being mounted and pivoted on a truck, and in the various combinations hereinafter more fully set forth and claimed.

ThetruckAis an ordinary truck,builtstron g,

broad, and preferably low in any appropriate manner.

The base consists of the bottom B, end pieces, 0 U, and side pieces, D D. In each side piece are out two slots, E E, each of which extends at an incline from, at or near, one end of the side D toward the center, the slots of the opposite sides corresponding with one another. These slots guide the axles H K, passing through the end of the power-links F F and G G, as hereinafter more fully explained. Attached to, at or near the end of, the shaft H are the wheels hh, which run in the slots E E, and attached to, at or near, the end k are the wheels 70 k, that the movement of the shaft back and forth in the slots E E E E may be made more easily. The slots E E E E are faced with metal, having a groove or track, to which the periphery of the Wheels h h 7c k correspond and, fit. The I width of the slots E E E E and the diameter of the wheels h h It It are so proportioned that there is only sufficient room for the free revolution of the wheels, whether they bear against one or the other side of the slots, and not sufficiently play to allow the wheels to get off the track or out the groove.

On the lower side of the bottom B of the base, at the center, is attached the circular block 52, which fits in a recess or circular socket, 53, provided at the center of the body of the truck for that purpose, so thatthe base and the truck will he firmly united to one another by the fitting of the circular blockin the socket, and a pin, 50, passing through the base and truck, which pin 50 is provided at one end with a head fixed thereon, and at the other with a nut, 51,

screwed thereon, by means of which the base and truck are held together, and the base may at the same time be turned about on the pin 50 as a center to any angle with the truck.

The legs 54 and 55 are each provided with a longitudinal slotthrough the centers, extending from near one end to near the other.

There is provided at either end of the baseframe 0 O a bolt, 54 55, in an appropriate hole, the bolt 54 passing through the slot of the leg 54, and the bolt 55 passing throughthe slot of the leg 55. To each bolt is screwed a thumbnut, by which the heads of the bolts may be drawn close against the legs and the legs held firmly to the ends of the base-frame G G in any position they may be placed. When the thumbnuts are unscrewed these legs may be turned up, as in Fig. 1, or placed with their ends on the ground, as inFigs.2 and 4, and secured in either position by the bolts 54 and 55 and'the thumbnuts thereon.

The extension-ladderis made as follows The bars 2 and 2 at that portion above the center where they cross the bars 1 and 1 are united by cross-rounds Z Z l, which are firmly fastened at one end to the bar 2 and at the other end to the bar 2, forming a ladder. The bars 4 and 4 are united at that portion above the center by cross rounds I l lin the same manner as the bars 2 and 2, as are also the bars 16 and 16, 18 and 18, and all the bars which are parallel to the bars 2 and 2 when the ladder is extended as shown in Figs. 2 and 4. Through the bars 2 and 2 7 at or near the lower ends thereof, the shaft 19 passes, which is free to turn in the bars. This shaft serves to unite the ends of the bars 2 and 2 to the power-links F F and attaching M M, as hereinafter more fully described. The bars 1 1 are placed outside the bars 2 2, so that they cross at or near their centersthroughthe bars11'22. Wheretheycross, at or near their centers, is passed the shaft 21, by which the bars 1 1 are held in position.

Through the bars 1 and 1, at or near the ends, is passed the cross-shaft, 20, which unites the bars 1 and 1 to the power-linksGG and attaching-linksN N. The lower ends ofthe bars4and 4 are placed between the ends of the bars 1 and 1 and united by the cross-shaft 22, which passes the bars 1 1. 4 4 at or near their ends. The bars 3 3 are placed outside of the bars 2 2 and united to them by the cross-shaft 23, which passes through the bars 2 2 3 3 at or near their ends. The bars 3 3 cross outside the bars 4 4 at or near their centers, and are united to them by the cross-shaft 24, which passes through the bars 3 3 4 4. The bars 6 6 are united by the cross-rounds l l, in the same manner as the bars 4 and 4 are. The lower ends of the bars 6 6 are placed between the bars 3 3 and united by the cross-shaft 25, which passes through the bars 5 5 6 6. Thus 1 the extension-ladder may be continued through any desired number of bars, according to the will of the maker and strength-of material of which the parts are composed.

The connecting-bars l 1 3 3 5 5, &c., are placed outside of the short ladders 2 2 4 4 6 6, so that when the extension-ladder is closed the bars 2 2 4 4 6 6, &c., will be between the bars 1 1 3 3 5 5, 850., so thatthe bars may be brought close together, as shown in Fig. 1. The bars 18 18, next the top bars, are cut off just past the center, and the bars 17 17, being the top bars, extend only a short distance beyond the center.

The bars are made of wood or metal, and are provided with appropriate holes or boxes for the crossshafts to work in, and when the bars are made of wood these should be lined or faced with metal to give a good bearing-sun face.

A platform, W, made on the hangers m y z, is suspended on the cross-shafts 20 21 and forms a platform between the bars 1 1',extending from the cross shaft 20 to 21. Suflicient space is left between the side of the platform W and the bar 1 for the bar 2 to pass when the extension ladder is closed, and between the side of the platform W and the bar 1 for the bar 2 to pass when the extension ladder is closed. A similar platform is suspended between the shafts 23 and 24, between 26 and 27, between 29 and 30, between 32 and 33, &c., in each case being arranged to nearly fill the space between the shafts and the bars at the side, leaving room sufiicient on each side for the other bars to fit when the exten sion-ladder is closed. These platforms form a means of passing from the upper portion of one of the series of short ladders to thelower part of the next above.

The flooring of the platform is shown made of narrow strips, nearly touching; but it may be made of flooring, rounds, or in any like way, without departing from the nature of my invention.

The attaching-links N N M M are a little more than half as long as the bars 1 1'2 2', and each is provided with pivotholes near each end, which pivot-holes are the same distance from one another as the several pivot-holesin the bars are frotn one another. The shaft 20, which passes through the lower end of the bars 1 1, passes also through the links NN, and the shaft 19, which passes through the bars 2 2, passes also through thelinksMM. Through the other ends of the attaching-links N N M M is passed the shaft P, which also passes through the sides of the baseD D and fastens the extension-ladder to the base.

The pivot-holes or journals in each bar or link are distant from one another the same distance that the pivot-holes or journals in each other bar or link are, so that the extensionladder may be extended or closed at pleasure without straining the parts of which it is constructed, and being so arranged the several bars and links which are parallel with one another are kept parallel with one another, whether the ladder is extended or not.

The power-links F F and G G are made of any suitable length, and each has a pivot-hole or journal at or near each end. The two pivotholes in each power-link F F and G G are shown here as of a distance from one another equal to the distance between the pivot-holes in the several bars; but they may be varied from that without impairing their operation upon the bars of the extension-ladder.

A Windlass, Q, is journaled in the sides D D, having one end of its shaft projecting through the side D on which the crank q and ratchetwheel 1' are firmly keyed or otherwise fastened. Fixed on.the side D is a pawl arranged to butt against the teeth of the ratchet-wheel r. The ropes R R are at one end fastened to the windlass and at the other end to the shaft K, so that by turning the windlass the rope will be wound about it and the shaft K drawn toward it, causing the power-links F F to push up the attaching-links M M at their abutting ends, which raises the end of the bars2 and 2 and also moves them nearer the Windlass Q, which motion of the bars 2 and 2 is transmitted through the whole extension-ladder at one end, and to the shaft H at the other are ropes R B, so that by turning the windlass the rope may be wound about it, drawing the shaft H toward the windlass Q and causing the power-linksF F to push up the attaching-links M M at their abutting ends, which motion is transmitted through the various bars of the extensionladder. There is a similar Windlass, S, journaled in the sides D D, its shaft projecting through the side D, and having thereon a crank, s, and ratchet-Wheel t, againstwhich apawlon the sideframe, D,abuts. Fast to the Windlass at one end, and to the shaft K at the other, are the ropes R B, so that by turning the Windlass the rope may be wound about it, drawing the shaft K toward the windlass S and causingthe power-links GG to push up the attaching-links N N at their abutting ends, which motion is transmitted through the various bars of the extension-ladder.

The combined action of the two windlasses Q and S in drawing up the shafts H and K causes the power-links F F G G to push the attaching-links M M N N upward,causing the bars of the ladder to be unfolded and the ladder to be extended upward.

The ropes R R R B may go direct from their respective windlasses to shaft H or K, to which it may be attached, or may combine with pulleys to give increased power to the Windlass in any manner that may be desired without departing from my invention. The two shafts H and K, being drawn toward the center at equal speed, will cause the ladder to be extended straight upward from the base to a height varying according to the distance the shafts H and K are from one another.

By drawing one shaft, H or K, nearer the center than the other the extended ladder may be made to lean in either direction at an angle with the base, according as whichever shaft is the nearer the center, and when the ladder has been extended to the height desired it may be made to leave the perpendicular by releasing one Windlass and allowing one shaft, H or K, to move away from the center, by which means the top may be thrown against a building, as shown in Fig. 4 of the drawings, or thrown near the building and supported by the base and Windlass. The ladder may be made to assume a perpendicular position again by turning up the Windlass released, and when the base does not stand level by turning one Windlass alone a little such unevenness maybe compensated for and the ladder made to extend itself perpendicularly, when both windlasses are turned. Thus the ladder maybe extended and retracted at will and made to stand at an angle with the base.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The combination of the base grooves or ways at an incline from the outer ends toward the center with the power-links F F and G G, substantially as specified.

2. The combination of the extension-ladder, attachinglinks, and powerlinks with the shafts and base-grooves, substantially as specified and set forth.

3. The extension-ladder combined with the base by attaching-links M M N N and to the movable-shafts H K by the power-links F F G G. substantially as specified and set forth.

4. The attaching-links M M N N, pivoted on the shaft P, combined with the links F F G G and shafts H K and operating mechanism, substantially as specified.

5. The platforms W, so combined with the extension-ladder by hangers from the crossshafts as to leave a space between the sides of the platforms and the adjacent bars of the extension-ladder, substantially as specified.

JOHN PHIPARD.

WVitnesses G. G. FRELINGHUYSEN, JOSEPH J. SULLIVAN. 

